We'll Be A Dream
by VivaLaAmber
Summary: Two very different people find that the same source of pain brings them much closer together. HSxOC
1. Introduction: Losses and New Lives

**Introduction**

For some reason, it seems, all the terrible things in life happen all at once. One bad thing happens, no matter how big or small, and it sets off a chain reaction. Then, all of a sudden, life takes a turn for the worst. This is exactly what had happened to twenty-year-old Kaoru Matsuyama. To her, it felt as though she had lost everything that Spring; her home, her job, her happy family life and even her mother.

It started off with the loss of her job. She was only working as an assisstant in a simple book store, but the money helped her get by and she loved it there. But the store wasn't making enough money to stay open, and so, everyone had lost their jobs after it closed down. Because she had lost her job, Kaoru started losing more and more money, until eventually she couldn't keep up with rent and lost her apartment too.

So she was forced to pack her bags and go back to live with her parents in the house she'd grown up in. She didn't really mind though; her mother loved her and welcomed her back home with open arms. Her father, however, didn't seem too bothered that she'd come back to live with them. But then again, he had never paid much attention to Kaoru her whole life. It felt to her as if he was bored of having her as his daughter. She was used to this though, so she didn't let it bother her. It wasn't unknown to her that her father would much preferred to have had a son, rather than her. But if he didn't care, well neither did she. Simple as. As long as her mother still loved her and she had a roof over her head. Good things never last, though.

It wasn't long after that until the accident. Normally, on a Sunday morning, Kaoru would be at home as usual, but this particular Sunday morning she was away. She'd spent the night at a friend's house after being out all night celebrating that particular friend's birthday. She thought that would have been better than coming home at five in the morning. But if she had come home at that time, maybe she'd have noticed the smoke and been able to save her mother's life.

Her mother had been alone in the house that day; her father left to go fishing at around four o'clock, as he does every Sunday. Not long after he left, a fire had started within the house. No one was able to figure out who or what had caused it, so the Police could do nothing but state it as an accident. But whatever the cause, Kaoru had lost her mother that day. That was the day she wondered whether her life could possibly get any worse.

She was now stuck living with her unloving father, with no job, little money and no mother. Kaoru couldn't figure out just what it was she'd done to deserve this.

Even more so, she couldn't figure out just how quickly her father was able to move on from the death of his wife, who he'd been married to for twenty one years. As it happens, two months after the funeral, he had remarried. So now Kaoru and her father had moved out of their old home and into the house of his new wife. It was amongst many other houses in it's own little estate where the rest of her family lived.

And now, this is where our story starts, the Summer of 1997. Kaoru Matsuyama was living in a new home with no mother, pretty much no father (as he had got to the point where he was ignoring her nearly all the time), a new step-mother and that little brat she called her son.


	2. Chapter One: Once Upon A Time

_-First off, I'd like to thank gaarakabuto for the very first review of this story :) and secondly, I apologise sincerely if I happen to use the wrong Japanese word, phrase or whatever. I'd rather use the original Japanese names for things (such as Shoji rather than Sliding Doors xD) but I'm sorry if I use the wrong one, and please correct me if i do, thank you :)_

_And I apologise the ending of this chapter is rather uneventful :/ I wasn't sure how to end it properly as it had a few different endings xD ahaa but without further ado, I give you the first official chapter..._

**Chapter One - Once Upon A Time**

Once upon a time... because that's how all fairy tales are supposed to start, right? Ha, well, I suppose this isn't much of a fairy tale, but it's always nice to hope.

It was only Kaoru's second day living in her new home with her new family. Her father had gotten married the previous day and was all set to go on his honeymoon with his new bride. All their bags had been packed and Kaoru was ready to spend the next two weeks alone in the house. Her new step-brother would be spending the fortnight at a relatives house, somewhere else in the estate. There was just one more thing to do before they set off; meet the Head of the family.

Kaoru didn't much like the idea of this whole family having someone in charge of them all. And what kind of power did this guy have on the family, anyway? No matter what the situation, Kaoru was going to have to put up with it, as she was now an official member of this family.

Seeing as this was such a big, important family, Kaoru's step-mother had not changed her surname after getting married, but kept her original one. This didn't mean that Kaoru was changing her name, though, even if she had joined the family. She was staying Kaoru Matsuyama, not becoming one of the Sohma's.

As the new family walked towards the main building, Kaoru couldn't help but imagine what the Head would be like; probably some snobby old, rich-looking guy, if he's in charge of everything.

One of the many maids let them in once they got to the front door, and led them down the hall to a room. She knocked on the door and entered, immediatly bowing as she did so. It was a rather large, almost empty washitsu room. At the opposite end of the room was an open shoji door that lead outside, where a skinny, rather ill looking man stood, basking in the morning sunlight. He looked about the same age as Koaru.

'_That can't be having any effect on him_,' Kaoru thought as she watched the young man standing in the sun, '_he's way too pale_.'

"Master Akito, the new family members have arrived as you ordered,"explained the maid, rather timidly. Was she scared of this guy? He didn't exactly seem much.

'_Hang on, did she just address him as 'Master'? Seriously, this can't be the almighty Head of the Sohma's. No way._' Kaoru couldn't quite believe it.

"Very well," he finally spoke as he turned and walked into the room. Kaoru followed her family as they knelt down in front of this man, Akito. Her father and step-mother in front with her and her new brother right behind them.

As he stood in front of them, Kaoru got a good look at Akito Sohma. He was a lot younger than she had originally thought; he couldn't be any older than Kaoru herself. He was incredibly skinny and pale with black hair, short at the back but longer at thr front. His dark hair against his white skin only made him look paler.

'_Is this scrawny little man actually the person in charge of all this?_' Kaoru asked herself. '_Unbelievable._'

"Ah, welcome," he greeted them, smirking slightly. "I trust you have told them of the curse that our family holds," he addressed Satsuki, Kaoru's step-mother.

"Yes, Akito, I have," she replied warily.

Kaoru remembered the day her and her father had been told about the Sohma curse. Thirteen members of the family were each possessed by one of the twelve animals of the Zodiac as well as the cat. For some reason, when one of these people were embraced by a member of the opposite sex, or their bodies were under a lot of stress, they would transform into a specific Zodiac animal. Being the sceptic that he was, her father had just laughed at the impossibility of the situation. And so, to prove it, Satsuki had given her son a hug. He transformed. Where the young boy was stood only a moment ago, there was now a small sheep in his place. Hiro Sohma was possessed by the spirit of the Ram.

Kaoru had not yet met any other members of the Zodiac, but at least she knew her life would become interesting whilst living with this family.

Akito nodded his head approvingly. "Very well, then that is all. I just wanted to meet the new members of our family; give them an official welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with Hatori and I believe the two of you have a Honeymoon to get to."

The four family members nodded and left silently. Once outside, Hiro was the first one to speak.

"I wonder what's up with him today," he wondered outloud.

"I don't know," answered his mother, "he's not usually that calm or welcoming. It was slightly eerie to tell the truth. I do hope he's not up something."

"Up to something?" questioned Kaoru's father, "why on earth would that boy be up to something? Something like what?" He sounded completely baffled.

"To be honest, I have no idea. Don't question the way Akito's mind works. he's an odd young man," Satsuki explained.

Half an hour later, Hiro had been dropped off at another of the Sohma households, Kaoru's father and step-mother had just set off to the airport, and Kaoru was just about ready for two weeks all to herself.

That afternoon, Kaoru found herself walking through town in search of a new job. She'd tried a variety of cafes, bars, food stalls, grocery shops and even a pet shop; it just seemed that nowhere needed any extra help. On her way home, she walked by the building in which she had previously worked. It just so happened that it would be re-opening in six days as a book store. Kaoru didn't hesitate to write down the contact number displayed in the window advertising that was advertising, 'Help Wanted'. She decided she'd give them a call the next day.


End file.
